Modified Ames Test for Mutagenicity of Pepsi-Cola in Escherichia coli
I. Introduction
Certain substances have been avoided because of their potential harmful effects on the body. One way a substance has affected cells was by changing their genetic material. A substances’ potential to cause changes in genetic information was the mutagenicity of the substance. If it caused changes in the DNA sequence, it was considered a mutagen. The altering of a DNA sequence was a concern because the modification of DNA can lead to cancer. Mutagens may act as cancer causing agents, commonly known as carcinogens (Biology 214 Laboratory Handout, 2008). As a result, there was a large amount of research done focused on identifying mutagens. There was an emphasis on substances that people regularly come in contact with, often through eating. Certain substances found in a large portion for a typical human diet have been studied for mutagenicity. One of these substances was Pepsi-Cola, a common drink sold and consumed across the world.
Pepsi-Cola was concerning because people consume it worldwide. Scientists who have studied Pepsi-Cola focused on the caffeine contained in the soda. A 12-ounce Pepsi-Cola contains 38.4 mg of caffeine (Lamarine, 1994). Caffeine was also readily found in many other substances regularly consumed by people including coffee, chocolate, tea, Coca-Cola and other beverages (Lamarine, 1994). Many researchers have done studies on the mutagenicity and carcinogenicity of caffeine. One such individual, Margaret Lieb studied the mutagenic effect that caffeine had on Escherichia coli that which had been treated with ultra-violet radiation. The results of her study reveled a greater number of mutant E. coli in the sample where...
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...ology 214 Laboratory Handout, 2008).
III. References
Biology 214 Laboratory Handout 2008. Ames testing: are chemicals, mutations, and cancer linked?
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH. 5 pp.
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Lieb, M. 1961. Enhancement of Ultraviolet-Induced Mutation in Bacteria by Caffeine. Zeitshrift für
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Caffeine raises your blood pressure when you drink/eat it, raising your blood pressure in general is not a good thing but imagine drinking and/or eating caffeine daily, and your blood pressure constantly rising. Another negative aspect is that caffeine can have a disruptive effect on your sleep. The most obvious effect of the caffeine is that it can make it hard for you to fall asleep. It can help you stay awake during the day but can also make you stay awake during the night when you are trying to fall asleep. You can also have withdraws from caffeine, going back to the story “Java Man” the author Malcolm Gladwell considered it a drug and remember you can get addicted to drugs (you can really get addicted to anything). There are plenty more negative ways caffeine can disrupt your lifestyle but you know what they say for every negative thing you can say there can be some
By this definition, and after knowing the effects of caffeine upon the human body, I have come to the conclusion that drinking caffeine is a sign of a lack of respect for oneself, and of an unappreciative attitude toward the life that each of us has been blessed with. Furthermore, it shows of either our inability, or unwillingness to learn to think clearly.
The presence of caffeine has become popular for increasing your alertness even though it has uncertain effects on cognition, coordination, and motor abilities. Caffeine is used as a stimulate to maximize performance on a daily basis for most people even those who do not have a morning drink to kick start to their day. People usually associate caffeine with their morning coffee or tea; however, “It can be found in a large portion of what we eat and drink and is consumed daily by an estimated 80% of children and adults in the United States (Barone & Roberts, 1996)”. The study by Childs and de Wit from the University of Chicago suggests that there might be a correlation in the variety of caffeine pills that have been given to some participants in past experiments (Childs & de Wit, 2008). In those studies the participants were given a caffeine pill that also has other herbal supplements which resulted in adding confounding properties to the study. The experiments where participants were given a true caffeine pill with 100% caffeine and no addit...
Scrutiny of caffeine and its effects has increased dramatically in the last 20 years, due in part to an increase in consumption of caffeine. In fact, coffee consumption among young adults rose to 3.2 cups per day in 2008 from 2.4 cups per day in 2005 (Rokerya 1). For instance, in a one hour period, on Richland College’s on-campus Starbucks, the author took note of how many customers arrived and purchased a cup of coffee. Between 8:00 and 9:00 AM, there were 51 customers, implying that – especially at college - many people are dependent on coffee in the mornings. However, the results from these studies are inconclusive and often somewhat contradictory – many studies (such as that by Tetsuya Ohara et al.) show that caffeine is a great boon to
...y, this experiment would be useful for caffeine consumers in determining whether caffeine will have a positive or negative effect on their alertness. After completion of the experiment, it can be concluded that this investigation would be a useful reference for caffeine consumers interested in the effect of caffeine on psychological and physiological reaction times. However, the results will not be specific to them, and must be generalised, risking the reliability of the results. That being said, this experiment will have introduced a method of testing the effect of caffeine on psychological and physiological reaction times, which they may undergo for themselves.
Several people rely on caffeine to wake them up or give them a boost of energy when they feel down. Acting as a stimulant, caffeine not only improves concentration and focus, but also stops fatigue (Staff 1). Considered the most commonly used psychoactive drug in the world, approximately 90 percent of adults consume it daily (“MedicineNet.com” 1). But do caffeine buyers really stop to evaluate the possinle harmful effects on their body? Health scares similar to this are not recent. In fact, they have been going on for over 100 years. In 1911, the US Government sued the Coca-Cola company for making their drinks hazardous to other’s health (Lovett 2). Although the Coca-Cola company won, it proves that people worry about what they put into their bodies, even if it does help them stay up to finish their homework. Not everybody will experience the same effects from caffeine. Some people seem more sensitive to caffeine than others (Staff 1). While some will express unwanted effects after only one cup of coffee or tea, others will not notice these same effects until after maybe four or five cups. Although caffeine does include benefits, many downfalls exemplify the stimulant as well. Drinking even small amounts of caffeine daily develops harmful effects on most people’s body and health.
"Medicines in My Home: Caffeine and Your Body." U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Fall 2007. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.
Caffeine, commonly found in coffee and many other beverages, and containing certain chemicals compounds leading to the constant necessity of fidgeting, jitters, sleepless hours, and health hazards as though being tormented by a hobgoblin with the irresistible sweet aroma and multiple flavors trapping you into a path, not being able to truly quit as desired or consequences attached, but is it the world’s most used legal drug addiction or something enjoyable, you decide? “The delicious chemical in caffeine is 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine”(Linn). “Caffeine is made by pressuring cooking beans with CO2 to produce the drug in powder form”(Linn). “In caffeine the consumption breakdown in Coffee is 54%, Tea it’s 43%, Food and misc it’s 3% and used as a common mood-altering drug in the world, most popular way of ingesting is through coffee”(Linn). The issue with drinking coffee is due to the fact that caffeine can cause some troubling effects like insomnia activity in the brain that prevents sleep, constant need to urinate leading to dehydration due to the lack of fluids in the body, and diarrhea causing the food right out because it accelerates the digestion in the stomach. The consumption of too much caffeine can cause damage in human health also causing an overdose leading to death. The impact in society is through how much caffeine Americans consume daily, and the effects it causes in human health and sleep patterns. Throughout the years past caffeine consumption in America has increased jarasicaly, about 90% in some form daily. “On average Americans have been known to consume 280 mg of caffeine per day or 2-3 cups of coffee”(Linn). Strangely enough, caffeine is still contained and found in decaffei...
“Java Man” by Malcolm Gladwell is an essay describing caffeine, its uses, and social standing. The essay describes how this particular stimulant has been widely accepted by society throughout time. Malcolm Gladwell recounts how caffeine appeals to different classes when used in different beverages; gives examples of how this legal stimulant affects the body for different individuals and gives examples of a very short and unconventional study, which showed the harmless affects of caffeine; and is consumed by a variety of age groups in many ways. Malcolm Gladwell says it best in his essay, “Java Man”: “At one moment, in one form, it is the drug of choice of café intellectuals and artists; in another, of Zen monks; and yet another, of children enthralled by a fat man that slides down chimneys” (233). The setting and
As America quickly become the most unhealthy nation with approximately sixty-eight percent of adults over twenty classified as overweight or obese, citizens still choose to not find out what they are consuming and how their eating choices can affect their bodies (United States, Behavioral Effects of Caffeine in Children). When examining health, aspects such as calories, weight, and fitness levels are all inspected. Other factors such as the everyday drug that up to ninety percent of people around the world consume in one form or another need to be addressed in an inspection of the national health (“Caffeine” Health Education). Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant than modifies mood and can be found addictive (“Caffeine” Health Education). American’s average daily intake of caffeine is two hundred and eighty milligrams (“Caffeine” Alcohol and Tobacco). Many people consume much more than that; they are addicted. Caffeine is a drug common in our society that brings negatively affects the the consumer both mentally and physically and the true facts of the substance’s affects stay concealed such as how it affects the heart, brain, and other organs of adults, children, and animals alike.
Caffeine is a mild stimulant that occurs naturally in at least 63 plant species. Caffeine can be found in the leaves, stems, seeds, and roots of these various plants. Caffeine is part of the methylxanthine family. It consists of a xanthine molecule with three methyl groups attached to it. Caffeine can be found in many products like sodas, tea, and coffee, but it also occurs in several other products such as prescription medications, diuretics, and pain relievers. Caffeine’s widespread use and popularity have caused many people to view the substance as an addictive drug. Thus making caffeine the most inexpensive and readily available drug known to man. Then on the other hand there are people who view caffeine as a helpful stimulant that increases the individual’s concentration and awareness as well as many other physical traits. The important thing to remember is that caffeine’s affects vary based on the person, the amount ingested, the frequency of consumption, and individual metabolism. (http://www.pp.okstate.edu/ehs/kopykit/caffeine.html)
As the vast majority of Americans are addicted to caffeine, studies show that the effects during post-consumption, can be positive or negative depending on the amount and frequency of caffeine intake. As the demand for caffeine has increased, the caffeine industry has increased its amount of marketing and establishments to help aid this demand. Caffeine addiction can lead to serious health detriments and physiological detriments. It is evident that the primary reason for consumption of caffeinated beverages is due to positive effects, such as alertness. The media has an abundance of marketing to continue to illustrate this main effect. The media fails to project the negative effects of excessive caffeine intake. This literature review will illustrate how excessive caffeine consumption can be detrimental to one’s life, and how problematic caffeine use derives from conditioning by the caffeine industries.
The following study will examine and provide research methods, results and conclusions about college students who consume caffeine energy drinks, alcohol or both to get an energy boost for one reason or another. Coffee which use to be the highlight of boosting energy and staying up late nights to complete homework assignments or study has taken a fall in the 20th century. The study will also point out the effects of the energy drinks and alcohol and the harm and health concerns that contribute to the students behaviors when consumed. The first study examines energy drinks and alcohol among college students and the fact that more students are consuming the product. The study is a web based questionnaire. The article “Caffeinated cocktails: energy drink consumption, high-risk drinking, and alcohol-related consequences among college students”, paints a good picture of the behaviors followed by drinking energy drinks and alcohol such as; heavy drinking, increased alcohol-related consequences, taken advantage of sexually, traveling with intoxicated drivers, getting injured or physically hurt, and those requiring medical attention. The second article “A survey of energy drink consumption patterns among college students” utilized a field research focus group of 32 to determine how much college students drink energy drinks including the benefits and the health issues. The energy drinks Red Bull, Amp, Monster, Rock Star, Rip It, Full Throttle, and Cocaine, just to name a few were created to give individuals a “Jolt” of energy with a combination of stimulants or “energy boosters” that include caffeine.
Pepsi is a non-alcoholic beverage, so the FDA regulates it. Pepsi is expected to maintain a firm standard of the laws. Different markets across the world follow different set of regulations, which are either relaxed or severe
Millions of Americans begin each day by consuming the most widely used drug in the United States: Caffeine. Over 90% of United States adults consume caffeinated food or beverages on a daily basis and over 50% take more than the recommended amount. Our innocent daily ritual can turn into an addiction for some because many do not realize that caffeine is even a drug let alone the effects it can have on their bodies. Its use it becoming more and more prominent in our society. It’s not uncommon to walk outside and see a Starbucks or coffee shop on each corner. Innovative foods are coming out infused with coffee, and energy drinks are being pushed at every angle. Caffeine to many is a necessity to wake up in the morning and for others to stay up all night. This is dangerous because people are not only becoming more and more dependent on coffee drinks and energy drinks but they are beginning to ingest more of it each day and are now mixing it with other drugs that can be life threatening. Proper knowledge is important when taking any drug including one that the FDA considers to be a safe multi-purpose food substance and education is the key.